Democrat Roy Cooper launches Senate bid in North Carolina for Tillis' seat
Roy Cooper, the former Democratic governor of North Carolina, officially launched his Senate bid for Republican Sen. Thom Tillis' open seat in 2026 on Monday.
“I'm Roy Cooper, and I know that today, for too many Americans, the middle class feels like a distant dream. Meanwhile, the biggest corporations and the richest Americans have grabbed unimaginable wealth at your expense. It's time for that to change,” Cooper said in an announcement video posted on X.
In his announcement, Cooper said he believes that the next election will determine “if we even have a middle class in America anymore.” He doesn’t mention President Donald Trump directly.
“Right now, our country is facing a moment as fragile as any I can remember, and the decisions we make in the next election will determine if we even have a middle class in America anymore. I never really wanted to go to Washington. I just wanted to serve the people of North Carolina, right here where I've lived all my life. But these are not ordinary times. Politicians in D.C. are running up our debt, ripping away our health care, disrespecting our veterans, cutting health for the poor, and even putting Medicare and Social Security at risk just to give tax breaks to billionaires. That's wrong, and I've had enough.”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) responded to the news in a statement slamming Cooper as both "far left" and anti-Trump, alongside attempting to tie him to former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Roy Cooper is a Democrat lapdog who spent his time as Governor sabotaging President Trump, doing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' bidding,” NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said partly in a statement. “When Hurricane Helene hit, Cooper's gross mismanagement left over 100 North Carolinians dead and an estimated $53 billion in damage to businesses, homes, and infrastructure. North Carolina wants a senator who will champion working families, safety, and American values, not an incompetent, far-left career politician like Cooper who will wreck everything they care about.”
As for the Republicans’ pick, multiple sources tell ABC News that RNC Chair Michael Whatley is planning to launch a bid after being asked directly by Trump to run. Trump is hopeful that Whatley, who led the North Carolina Republican Party before becoming RNC chair, has the knowledge of the state, the national profile and the network of relationships to run a strong campaign.
Tillis said in June that he would not seek reelection, citing “the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington” and as Trump railed against him for opposing his signature megabill.
ABC's Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
